ONLINE PETITION TO SAVE THE BRITISH GP (Please sign!)

Glad to battle with you Pete. Until somebody looses an eye...just kidding.

I must admit I have a thing for elevation changes and any track with elevation changes always wins on my fav list, which is why I can't fathom that new tracks like Shanghai or Indy have no elevation changes. If you spend that much money, how difficult could it be to add a little hill? We do it all the time in the US with golf course built on wasteland. Anyway, I'm drifting off the subject here.

Unfortunately I don't have a map handy of the proposed London GP, but as far as I remember - having seen it for 5 seconds on British telly - it does have a variety of turns, not just 90 degrees. I agree 90 degrees are boring, but not necessarily a must with a street circuit.

The F1 demo show in London this year had about one or two 90 degree turns, the rest was different curves and I think it would be like that if it ever came to a city GP. The London track would use some of London's biggest roads including the one going to Buckingham Palace and there is room for grand stands.

I still believe in Bernie's motivation for the sport - you can call me naive for that one -, but I think he is going down the wrong path. It seems to be all about money. Not that that is too wrong, after all F1 is terribly expensive, but Bernie seems to be doing it at the expense of the fans. About at the end of the eighties Bernie took over control and gradually turned F1 into the big global show it is today. That also sadly marked the day when fans could no longer just meander pitlane and have a chat with a driver. For comparison: When I was at Brands Hatch in 1980 the Williams team took me inside their garage and led me to Alan Jones in his RV. Unthinkable by today's standards. And I don't just mean, that MS wouldn't be living in a RV...

I also give you the point about the heritage and that we need some of the classic race tracks preserved. You mention Imperial83 and his statement about Hungaroring. Ironically that track by now has become somewhat of a classic and Bernie is seriously thinking about removing it from the schedule.

Regarding the TV thing: I don't question where the onboard camera was invented. What I meant was, that Bernie introduced a lot of on board camera technology to F1 that wasn't there before and might still not be if it hadn't been for him. E.g. the shot of the small camera on the left side of MS's cockpit was placed there by Bernie TV and only after its collapse was the feed extended to a wider audience.

I don't believe in Jackie Stewart. I think he is more stubborn than rational. Always thought that btw and still do. His "Stewart" team was a POS and he now accuses of Jaguar of abandoning his tradition. Whereas in reality the Stewart cars were really rebranded Tyrrell. Now there is a team with tradition.

Anyway to make a long story longer: I think the British GP is gone for next year, but hopefully Bernie's armtwisting will bring it back the following year. F1 without a British GP is like F1 without Ferrari. Unthinkable and deprived of its roots.

 

I'll try and press the keys softly to reduce that chance

100% agree. Any real racer has to be on your side here. One of the things that I like(d) about Silverstone is the drop down and then up into the hairpin ... but I'm not sure if that part still exists.

True, but most streets are designed for practical building shapes, etc. and not to make an awesome race track corner ... but I have to say that Adelaide was fncken fantastic ... so I guess London can do it too.

The problems are enormous ... they will enflame the greenies, etc. and have protests, and every possible reason to stop it will be tried ... but if Britain really wants to turn it's back (temporarily) on the father of modern circuit motorracing (IMO) then so be it.

I think you have once again proved that Bernie is making decisions for the wrong reasons ... so IMO that means that Bernie's motivation is not for pure racing like the rest of the world.

As I have always said, he added nothing other than the restrictions. When you add restrictions the have nots want to get on the other side and suddenly you have exclusivity. Enzo played this game too and it is the best way to increase the value of something, ie. only let selected people see it, use it, etc. Bernie did this not for the sport, but to make the bucks.

Bernie thinks that heritage does not matter. Think of Le Mans if it was moved!, would you still be so interested? ... I wouldn't, 'cause it would no longer be Le Mans.

The arrival of new circuits and the fading out of old circuits needs to be handled slowly and carefully to maintain the awe of the past, and add weight to the race win/results, etc. After all it was noticable that at the Chinese GP that we lacked that. The only thing it had on its side in this area, is who ever won was going to record the first win ... written down in the history books, etc. But that could have been so easily the wrong driver ... say if RB's car had cr@pped out.

Next year it will start building the history, we will be able to discuss lap times compared to last year, etc. In 10 years time the fact that RB and Ferrari won the first will be important, etc. and so it builds. Chinese (and other) kids will grow up reading the F1 books and they WILL be interested to read the history of the Chinese track ... maybe dreaming that one day their name will be added to that illustrious (sp?) list.

The new London track will be starting again and as it has no real hope of ever being permanent and creating a long term history ... the history books will be of little interest, and young future race drivers will not be able to dream about standing on that podium, etc. ... but then maybe London can do a Monaco, but I really doubt a city like London is going to be able to continual live with the hassles of a street circuit, when even little old Adelaide couldn't and Melbourne (sort of street circuit) struggles.

I think you are overstating Bernie's role here IMO ... if he didn't think of it, somebody else would have. It is not like he invented something ... but then I am biased.

Hmmm, the Stewart cars were not rebranded Tyrrells and actually won a race or grabbed a podium (unless I am very much mistaken ). I have enormous respect for Jackie and have read over and over his guide to driving and it has taught me heaps .... BUT, if he, as part of the BRDC is not allowing the REAL fans of F1 and supporters to help Silverstone out, then I am disappointed.

Most definitely the last Stewart was going in the right direction ... and Jaguar fncked it. I think his loyality to Ford was a mistake ... and like Prost maybe he was a better driver than a team boss ??

Agree. The only good that can come from this is the BRDC getting a kick up the arse and/OR the British F1 supporters turn up at Silverstone by the thousands with shovels and spades to fix the problems.

Pete

 

Where is the petition to never ever have a British GP? Absolutely worthless facillities and a ship load baseless pride. Time to move on to the future. Shanghai and Bahrain were amaizing. Turkey with be great too.

 

How long have you been interested or watched F1?

If the history of the sport means so little to you, then why are you so keen that Ferrari does not drop back into another 21 year drought? ... you have to read and understand history to even know about the lackluster years of Ferrari in F1.

Does it not even mean anything to you that Ferrari are currently beating McLaren a team that goes right back to 1968 and thus has all that experience to fall back on?

Surely beating a team of such obvious qualities is better than beating young teams that have yet to prove themselves (like the modern Renault and Toyota)?

I understand you are a here and now person, and that is cool, but each win is so much better (in any sport) when it is something worth winning, or the other teams are worth beating, ie. nearly equals ... and the only way you can judge another team, is to look into history at their past results.

Without heritege, Ferrari would be nothing ... without heritege F1 would be nothing also.

Pete